RECORDED MUSIC

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20150, 19 May 1928, Page 5 (Supplement)

RECORDED MUSIC

' THE WEEK’S NEW RECORDS COLUMBIA. Tcsclia Seidel. (1) “Caprice Viennois” (Kreisler); ) (2) “Gipsy Airs’’ (Sarasate). Violin - Solos by Toscha. Seidel. Columbia 73(52. It seems a long time since we heard ) of Toscha Seidel, but I understand he 1 is to record more frequently in the future. This is good news for lovers of good fiddling. He plays the tuneful ’ Kreisler fancy like the master he is—- ‘ with extraordinary sympathy in the ■ statement of the theme, and with no less extraordinary nimbleness in the “embroidery” passages. In the lovely Gipsy Airs, too, he produces a flow of mellow sound, and all through the playing is remarkable for its directness and certainty. Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony. “.Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral) in. F Major” (Beethoven). Felix Weingartner conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Col. L 1893-97, (Five records in album with descriptive notes). Beethoven tells us that he did net intend this as “programme music,” but more as the expression of feeling than painting. But as it depicts a nightingale, a quail, and a cuckoo, to say nothing of a storm of thunder and lightning. and the trickling of a brook, most of us will read a picture into it. Felix Weingartner has caught the “atmosphere” to perfection. His reading of the. storm music is surely one of the most vivid things recorded. In the wild crescendo of rain and wind, the shattering busts of thunder and the flashing of lightning his wonderful control of the orchestra never relaxes, and he rises to heights of serene beauty in I the quieter country scenes. The whole work is like a breath of sweet country j The Leaer String Quartet. i “Quartet in C -Major Op. 59, No. 3.” (Beethoven). Played by the Loner String Quartet. Columbia LlB6O-63. The I.ener string Quartet, who have recently finished a very successful tour | of England, might well be termed the (aristocrats of chamber music. Everything they give us is impeccable taste, and their ensemble is a revelation in urrity. It is most pleasing to see them avoid the usual fault of over-stressing the first violin. The C Major Quartet is the most popular of the many that Beethoven wrote. The second movement in particular, andante con moto, j is one of his most brilliant inspirations. Recording is brilliant, the string tone having completely lost that suggestion of “edge” that is the fault of many violin records. Barrientos. (1) “Bell Song, from Lakme” (Delibes); (2) “ Valse Bong, from Mireille” (Gounod). Sung by Maria Barrientos, soprano. Col. 7338. A most fascinating record by a great coloratura. The high, clear, sustained note at the end of the “Bell” song is beautifully given. On this side, too, there are some interesting conversational passages between the voice and chimes on temple bells. Barrientos shows a voice of singular sweetness and a remarkable display of vocal flexibility, while the imitation of the bells by the voice is brilliantly carried out. She overcomes even greater difficulties in the Gounod Waltz Song, but the music itself has not the same charmas the Delibes. Pablo Casals. (1) “Evensong” (Schumann); (2) “O Star of live” from Tannhauser. (Wagner). ’Cello solos by Pablo Casals. Columbia 7360. It should almost be enough to say of this record that it is played by Casals, recorded by Columbia, and contains Schumann’s Abendlied ” and the lovely “0 Star of Eve.” What more can we want from a ’cello record? Casals is the true artist, as always. His deliberate phrasing has never been more artistic, nor his tone so sound and mellow. A word of praise, too, must be given to the most competent accompaniment, especially as o restrained background tn his rich and resonant ’cello tone in the Wagner. A fine record. A Great Anglo-German Conductor. (1) “A Midsummer Night’s Dream —Nocturne” (Mendelssohn); (2) “The Meistersingers—Prelude, Act 3” (Wagner). Bruno Walter conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Columbia L 1651.

Two interesting contrasts in tonecolouring and orchestral texture of which Bruno Walter has taken full advantage to demonstrate his versatility. With due deference to his reputation as one of our greatest living Wagner conductors, I think he makes the Mendelssohn sound more interesting. The Wagner is a bit stodgy, and Walter docs not seem able to get much light-and-shade out of his orchestra. But the Nocturne is delightful. He has breathed a wonderful vitality into the fairy-like and fanciful combination, and if its colours are not rich they have a delicacy and subtlety that is far more difficult of achievement than gaudier effects. Lazaro. (1) “Celeste Aida” (Verdi); (2) “Salve! Dimora” (Gounod). Sung by Hipolito Lazaro. Columbia 7342. Yet another rendering of the popular “Celeste Aida”—and one that compares favourably with any I have heard. Lazaro has a round clear utterance, and his pitch in the upper register is excellent, though it lacks body, and, one occasion sounds a trifle forced. But the singing sounds very experienced, and one is reminded of Lazaro’s great triumphs in Italy, and at the Metropolitan Opera House. Rosa Ponselle. (1) “Un Bel Di—Madame Butterfly” (Puccini); (2) “La Vcrgine degli Angcli—Forza del Dcstino” (Verdi). Sung by Rosa Ponselle, soprano. Columbia 7340. “One Fine Day’’ is a typical bit of melodious Puccini from his greatest opera—Madame Butterfly, and Ponselle sings it with warmth and plenty of the right dramatic feeling. There is ringing power behind her notes, and if their colour may be a trifle monotonous she at any rate impresses one with her ease of utterance. The Verdi extract has more charm. Both sides are well recorded. HIS MASTER’S VOICE A Good Bass. Manuel Hemingway (bass), in “Friend o’ Mine” and “Shipmates o’ Mine” (Sanderson). Manuel Hemingway has a fine bass of outstanding quality. The two ballads which he has sung for this record are both famous and popular. He achieves just the right degree of bluff heartiness in “Shipmates o’ Mine.” H.M.V., 82573. For Violin Enthusiasts. Alfredo Rode (violin), in “Zigcuncrweisen” (Sarasate) and Variations on “A Carnival of Venice” (arr. Rode). H.-M.V., Cl3BO. Alfredo Rode is an extraordinary performer. He plays these very brilliant and effective pieces with an abandon and at a speed which makes you overlook the fact that they arc first and foremost virtuoso pieces of extreme difficulty. The tone in the haunting “Gipsy Melodies” (Zigounerweisen) is

very broad and full, whilst, the various violinist-acrobatics which have to be performed for its proper performance are executed with such case that (unless, of course, you arc a violinist yourself) you would never know how diffi- . cult they wore. This brilliant, artist, . who has been revealed to the musical • world by 4 ‘His Master’s Voice,” is . sure to go far. ’ A Marek Weber. ’ “Wine, Women and Song,” waltz (J. Strauss) and “Moonlight on the Al- ’ ster, ” waltz (Fctras), H.M.V., C 1407. How haunting the Strauss waltzes ’ are! They arc gay and have a swinging lilt, but, nevertheless, they have just a shade of wistfulness about them. Marek Weber and his orchestra play these two delightful waltzes with an t obvious love for their beauty. Weber ’ seems to caress every phrase of “Wine, Women and Song,” and to send it on its way laughing and sparkling. ! The New Temple Choir Disc. “I Waited for the Lord”—“O Come, ‘ Everyone that Thirsteth” (Elijah). > This new Temple Church Choir re- ! cord is likely to prove as popular as ' the first. Certainly for sweet tone it ’ would be hard to beat. The quartet I from. “Elijah” is preceded by Elijah’s recitative, “I Go on my Way.” which actually, of course, comes a little earlier in the work. The alto part of “O ■ Come” is apparently taken by a boy i (not even that rarity, a natural boy . alto), and is necessarily rather weak ■ in the ensemble, where, in fact, the balance is altogether far from perfect. The many people who regard “I Wait- : cd for the Lord” as the ideal church ■ music will he delighted with, this re- . cord. H.M.V., C 1398. • Joseph Hislop. Joseph Hislop (tenor), “Salut, dc- , meure chaste,” from “Faust” (Gounod) and “Pourquoi me revcillcr. ’’ from “Werther” (Massenet). In French, orchestra accompaniment. H.M.V., D 8944. The opening of “Salut, demeure ” (minus the recitative) is the loveliest example of mezza voce that has been heard from a British tenor since the palmy days of Edward Lloyd. The whole air is supremely well sung, and the high C at the end is magnificent. The selection, “Ossian’s Song,” from Massenet’s “Werther” (Act Ill) is one of the most touching pages in an opera that suffers more from its dull libretto than its music, a good deal of which can be thoroughly enjoyed. Jean de Reszke once sang this “Pourquoi me reveillcr” divinely, and its melancholy charm is abundantly realised in the •present instance, thanks to Joseph Hislop’s reposeful method and fine tone, supported by the graceful arpeggiandu accompaniment of an excellent harpist. The entire record is mechanically perfect. Grand Opera Stars. Two notable, grand opera stars with the J. C. Williamson Company now in Australia, are Angelo Minghctti (tenor) and Apollo Granforte (baritone). Each has recorded for His Master * Voice.

The former is a comparative rtranger to H.M.V. listeners, as lie has but recently made his debut in the studios, but he is we]] worth hearing in the two “Rigoletto” numbers, “Questa, o Quella” and “La Donna e .Mobile” (Verdi), (D.A. 800), the favourite “ Boheme” number, “Che Gelida Manina” (Puccini), and, with Luclla Parkin, the duet scena from “Rigoletto,” “El il Sol Dell’ Anima” (D. 8.952 Granforte has a large list of grand opera gems—“ Largo al Factotum” (“Barber of Seville”) and “O Lisbona” (Donizetti’s “Don Sebastiano” (D. 8.834 “O Monumento! ” (Ponchiclli’s “Gioconda,” and “Credo in un Dio Crude!” (Verdi’s “Otello”), (D.B. 835); “Pari Siamo” and Cortigani vi Razza ” (Verdi’s “Rigoletto” (D. 8.836 Il Pagliacei “Prologue’’ (D. 8.1044 and two concert numbers, “La Paloma” and “Alma Llancri” (D.A.699). A Great Orchestral Record. Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, in “Invitation to the Waltz” (Weber), D 1285. 'The same truly marvellous qualities which ipade the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra's record of the “2nd Hungarian Rhapsody’’ of Liszt so sensational, render this now record especially worthy of your attention. Il presents to you. with a realism that is really astonishing, the polished performance of a huge symphony orchestra of

over .105 perfotmers. The pice: l chosen for this record was Weber’s “Invitation to the Waltz.’’ a delightful little “tone-poem ” with a naive but charming little story behind it. There is an old lavender background for the little story for the' waltz was new in those days; a maiden is in the room next to the ballroom, and—as the music begins—a young gentleman of her acquaintance asks if he may “have the pleasure of this dance.’’ After a little shy dialogue between them, they move towards the ballroom. As they enter the strains of the waltz the band is playing becomes louder and sweep round the dancers. It is a very brilliant, energetic waltz, From this brief beginning you will probably prefer to make up the rest of tin* story to your own taste; it is very (dearly told in the gay and brightly coloured music. (The number of the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra’s record of tho Hungarian Bhapsody is D.129(j.) #*’ * # To the many who delight in the famous “Blue Danube’’ type of waltz, the following beautiful records will strongly appeal—“ Wine, Women and Song’’ and “Moonlight on the Alster,” played by Marek Weber's orchestra and “Spring Beautiful Spring” and “Vicuna Blood,’’ played by the Internation Concert orchestra. Both are twelve-inch discs ami the recording is superb. Hear them at the local His Master's Voice agents. -Messrs. Tilery Gilbert, Ltd.